Nirvana

As the end of the ‘80s gave way to the early ‘90s, rock ‘n’ roll needed a kick in the ass. Nirvana was just the band to do it. Blasting out of Seattle as part of the alternative-rock movement that drove the early part of the decade, Nirvana combined a punk-rock ethos with classic-rock riffs. In frontman Kurt Cobain, the band had a troubled but passionate singer and songwriter who helped give voice to his disassociated generation. The band’s 1991 album ‘Nevermind’ helped jumpstart a rock ‘n’ roll revolution, and its opening track, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit,’ became an indie-rock anthem. But Cobain was uncomfortable with the spotlight and turned away from it on ‘Nevermind’’s abrasive follow-up, ‘In Utero.’ On April 5, 1994, at the age of 27, Cobain killed himself, effectively ending the greatest band of the ‘90s.